Prettiest Friend
by 8ouji-Rui
Summary: "I'll tell you when I've figured it out." Sometimes, the genius can be so stupid.


**Author's Note: **Well, I had this in my desktop for months. I think it's time to publish it. My first try in NejiTen! Review please!

Disclaimer: I do not own both Naruto and Prettiest Friend by Jason Mraz.

Enjoy! XD

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Prettiest Friend (?)

Neji sighed for the nth time today. He still can't get a certain someone out of his head. Since he saw her at dinner today, all of those emotions almost came bubbling up. It took all of his self control to not hug her right there and then. He could only glare at Lee and Guy who keep showering Tenten with hugs, and saying "Our beautiful flower of youth!" and yet they couldn't see that she's very much irritated by them. And it didn't help that this time it's one of those rare time where she would show up with casual clothes. A flowery top that's made of some kind of thin fabric and some tight, short, white pants that shows off her legs that seems to go on forever. She looks…breathtaking. And she's not even wearing a dress.

Is he frustrated? No, he keeps saying to himself. He's just extremely annoyed by those appreciative glances the XY chromosomes give to her.

Jealous, then? No! He's not jealous! A Hyuuga is never jealous. He's just trying to protect his teammate, who seems to change a lot in the last years. Not that he's complaining….

….Yeah right, Neji. Denial is always the best part of your life….or is it?

Great, now he's questioning himself. He let out another sigh and decided to train, hoping it would help him refocus again. He walked to the training grounds where they used to train back in the old days. It was now used by another genin group, but this time in the evening, it's always empty. He decided to go through all the katas, do some basic training, and meditate. He's been going through his katas when a familiar voice approached him. Wonderful, just when he's trying to get her out of his mind.

"Neji? What are you doing here in the middle of the night?", Tenten asked, watching him from the shades.. He stopped training and turned around to see his team mate.

"What do you think?", he quickly returned back to his training, Why? Because the moonlight made her skin glow and if he stares a little longer…..well, he couldn't be held responsible for his action.

"Jeez Neji, I know that you're training. I'm asking why are you training here in the middle of the night!", Tenten made an exasperated sigh and decided to train too, next to him.

…..Why can't she choose another spot? This field is large enough for two.

He stayed silent for a while before suddenly turning around to look at her right in the eyes. And that's when he realized that she's still wearing the same attire from their dinner, but she had already let her hair down. It sways gently with the breeze, and the moon has stitched itself on top of her head. If he had said she looks breathtaking before, then now the only word that's close enough to describe her is….ethereal. Yep, our favorite genius is out of word to describe his friend.

Or is she just a friend?

"Oi, Neji! Are you okay?", while he was caught up with how she looks, it seems that she has managed to get closer to him. She raised her hand to his temple to check his temperature. He shrugged it away, making her frown.

"You've been in this state quite often lately. Tell me, is something wrong?", now she looked so worried. He almost gulped down the bile in his throat when he realized how close they are. But it looks like it doesn't affect her.

"Nothing."

Great. Now he acts like a teenage girl who always answer "nothing" when being asked "what's wrong". See? Tenten has this effect on him.

"Neji, I'm not buying that anymore. I've been asking you the whole month is there something wrong and you always answers me like that. Now, spill the beans.", she glared at him furiously. This time he chooses to stay silent, hoping that soon she'll go away.

"Is it a mission?", she guessed, looking more worried than ever.

"No."

"Is it the Clan?"

"No", he doesn't hate his clan anymore…but he didn't enjoy living in that estate.

"Is it about our team?"

"No."

"Is it about Gai?"

"No."

"Is it about Lee?"

"No.", this is getting annoying.

Then, hesitantly, she asked with eyes that reflects pain. "Is it….me?"

He stayed quite. It is, in a way, about her. But he doesn't know how to respond her. Not when she looks like she's about to break anytime.

"It is….right?", she looked down. Her bangs covering her face. He felt guilty.

"Do you want me to stay away?", she asked, and he could hear her voice breaking slightly at the end.

"No!", panicking, he raised his voice, surprising his teammate.

"…Neji, what's going on?", she now looked at him straight in the eye, eyes misting slightly.

"…", he didn't know what to answer. He feels like he wanted to kill himself right then and there for breaking her slowly. Quitely, she stood up and walked away from the training ground.

"Wait!", he called her. She stops in her way.

"If you're gonna tell me to nothing is wrong again, I'm going to stay away from you until you tell me what's going on…."

"It's not that, Tenten…", at this point he's beyond desperate. He didn't know what's going on between them, but he didn't want her to go.

"Do you not trust me, Neji? ", she turned and looked at him squarely. This time, he gulped. Almost audibly.

He sighed and settled down on the grass. She quietly watched him from where she was.

"The thing is…I don't know what's going on between us. The more I think about it, I can't help but feel that there's something more than this….friendship. I don't know what it is yet, but I'll tell you when I've figured it out. It's just….I wanted us to be like this a little while longer. I don't want us to be awkward with each other. I can't afford to lose you.". Now that he has started, it's easy to tell her what has been going on in his mind.

Tenten was too stunned to say anything. Then, a smile slowly bloomed on her lips. She crossed the distance between them and plopped down on the patch next to him.

"Then, I'll be waiting for when you'll figure it out.", she laid her head on his shoulder as a smile that is now in full bloom graced her lips.

Because, she silently mused, for a genius sometimes the Hyuuga is way too dense.

But for now, she's satisfied as being his prettiest friend.


End file.
